Strawberry-car



(No Model.)

A. H. FOGG. Strawberry Car. No. 238,223. Patented March 1,1881.

1- Q INVENT u. WWII, BY

' ATTORNEYS.

'' fi: PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHIEE WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

ALVIN H. FOGG, OF ROOKLAND, MAINE.

STRAWBERRY-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 238,223, dated March 1., 1881.

Application filed June 29, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN H. Foes, of Rock land,in the county ofKnox and State ot'Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Strawberry-(Jars, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, through the line 00 m, Fig. 3. Fig.

3 is a sectional end elevation. Fig.4c is aplan view of a part of a car. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a part of a track, showinga joint.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish cars designed for use in cultivating and gathering strawberries, cranberries, and in weeding and thinning out all kinds of root-plants.

. A is a rectangular frame, the ends of the ac side bars of which project beyond the crossbars.

To the side bars of the frame A, at a little distance from, their ends, are attached axles B for the wheels 0, which are made small and 2 5 with small flanges at the sides of their rims to keep them in place upon the tracks D. The tracks D are made of narrow boards, which have a tenon upon one end and a mortise or notch in the other end, so that the adjacent 3o ends of the said track-boards will interlock and will thus be kept in line.

To the end parts of the side bars of the frame A are secured the ends of the hanging seats E by bolts F.

3 5 To the seats E, in such positions as to be directly over the rows of plants, are attached boards G, which slide in ways attached to the lower sides of the seats E, so that they can be drawn out when desired for use and pushed in when not required for use. By this construction the seats E F and the shelves G are brought close to the ground, so that the pickers can work conveniently. The boards G are designed to serve as shelves to receive and 5 carry the baskets into which the fruit is to be picked.

To the frame A is attached a bottom or floor to receive and carry the empty baskets and the filled baskets, or a crate or box into which the filled baskets can be packed.

The car can be made of such a size as to straddle two rows and carry four pickers, two at each end, or narrow to carry two pickers, one at each end. The car is made light, so that it can be easily lifted from one track to another, and has handles Hfor convenience in handling it.

If desired, bows or alight frame, I, may be attached to the frame A to receive a cover, J, to protect the pickers and the picked fruit from the sun.

To the end parts of the side bars of the frame A are pivoted bent bars K, Fig. 4, the ends of the outer arms of which have brakeshoes formed upon or attached to them to bear against the faces of the wheels 0-, and thus hold the car in place upon inclined ground. The inner arms of the brake-bars K extend along the side bars of the frame A, and have slotted cross-heads formed upon their ends to receive the clamping-bolts L, attached to the said side bars, so that the'said brake-bars can be locked in place by tightening the nuts of the said bolts.

The boards G may have their middle parts cut away, or may be replaced by looped rods to receive the lower parts of the baskets, and thus prevent the baskets from being readily upset.

If desired, light straps may be attached to the top and under side of the middle frame, directly opposite each person, to be passed under one arm and over the opposite shoulder'f or under both arms of the pickers, and made of such a length as to allow the hands of the pickers to reach or nearly reach the earth. By this arrangement the straps will support the bodies of the pickers and relieve their backs from the strain.

Having thus described myinvention, what I 0 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A strawberry-car constructed substantially as herein shown and described, consisting of the frame A, the axles B, the flanged wheels 0, the seats E F, the sliding shelves G, the handles H, the cover I J, and the brakes K L, as set forth.

2. In a strawberry-car, the combination of the hanging seats E F, having sliding shelves G, with the frame A and the axles B and ends, bolts, and nuts, as and for the purpose wheels 0, substantially as herein shown and set forth.

described, whereby the pickers are brought ALVIN H. FOGG. close to the plants, as set forth. Witnesses:

5 3. In a strawberry-carriage, the brake-bars J. P. OILLEY, K, extending along the sides of frame A, and h 0. J. OONANT.

provided with slotted cross-heads at their 

